How to save a life
by PixieDust291
Summary: Will's life in the hospital was anything but eventful, until a certain angel came to visit him.


**How To Save a Life**

By Pixiedust291

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Will let the nurses and doctors putter around him. They had long since given up trying to engage him in conversations about meaningless pleasantries. What use was telling someone who was confined to their bed that the weather was very nice out this evening? Or something about the latest sports or world media? It was insulting; to say the least, and for one Will was happy they had just given up on talking to him altogether. He hadn't really liked talking even before his illness. His empathy disorder allowed him to completely and intimately understand the reason and feeling behind every person he met. Thus, when he met someone or talked to them, he could tell immediately what they were truly feeling and thinking and knew when they were just being polite or were truly concerned for him. He had found that most people fit into the first category, as was the fact that most people did not want to associate with something or someone that they deemed 'not normal'. This in and of itself was laughable to Will. Who deemed, or defined what the parameters of 'normal' were? If everyone in the world was different then how could people categorize the majority of people in a thing such as 'normal' and 'abnormal'? It was pure ignorance and fear of losing social acceptance.

Will absently watched the nurse leave after she had hung the new saline drip. She had offered him a tired smile, but nothing more. He glanced at the bed to his side where his roommate lay preoccupied with what was loudly blaring from the TV. He was a young man who had gotten in a car accident. It had not been his first one, or so he had said when he first arrived. His attitude was cock, if not flippant, and Will found that the best way to deal with him was to pretend to be in a catatonic state. This, for Will at least, was not hard to accomplish. In a room with no windows or decorations it was remarkably easy for Will to just close his eyes and pretend he was anywhere else.

He often imagined he was back home. He missed his quiet secluded house in the middle of nowhere. It had been located near a river which he had used to practice his fishing. He loved fishing. He had also loved caring for his dogs. They had been his constant and only source of company for many years. Until now.

Against his choice Will's imagination conjured up an image of himself standing before his bathroom mirror. He stared at his reflection as if he did not recognize himself. The copy had no hair, was pail white, and had the most sorrowful dead eyes. He looked, Will realized, like a still living corpse. He looked away with a shuddering gasp, momentarily horrified by the vividness of his own imagery. His right hand instinctively went to his scalp, running through his dark head of curly hair. His roommate made some sort of comment to shut up, but Will ignored him and closed his eyes once more. He imagined he was in the river, quiet and peaceful, as the water rushed around him is cool and soothing ripples. A smile came to his lips. He could hear the birds in the trees and the gentle rustling of leaves from the forest floor. He could smell the crisp dewiness of the air and he could imagine the sheer joy he felt within the moment. He could imagine that everything else was a lie and stay wrapped and safe within this moment for all eternity. If only. _If only_.

Will was awoken from his sleep by the sounds of his roommate sniveling uncontrollably. He opened his eyes and looked to his side. The man was in his bed, sobbing as huge droplets of tears streamed down his cheek. There was another man that stood just at the foot of his bed, resolute and indifferent. Will blinked as he tried to focus his eyes in the darkness. It was odd. He never remembered the lights in the room being off before. The man was dressed in an impeccably, fine-tailored suit, but there seemed to be blackness behind him. It moved as if it were breathing and shimmered in a strange light as if it had a translucent edge- Will blinked again as his irises finally adjusted to the darkness to reveal that the man had large, black feathered wings.

"I'm afraid begging will serve you no purpose." The man's voice was accented, but Will could not place where in the world the man was possibly from. He spoke with soothing crisp tones and a sophisticated lilt to his words that foretold of incredible intelligence and the highest of educations.

"Wait!" Will's roommate cried suddenly "You said I get one wish, right!? Well I wish to not die."

"The last wish granted to you is a privilege and should not be taken so carelessly." The angel's voice took on a bored, if not insulted tone.

"It's not careless! I want my fucking life!" The man screamed. Will was sure his cries would bring the hospital staff running in at any second, but no one came.

"You would use your last wish for such a selfish request?" The angel only slightly tilted his head to one side as if analyzing the human before him.

"Yeah! What else would I wish for?"

There was a long moment of silence before the angel spoke again "Regardless of whatever it is you say your last wish is, whether it is in my power or not to grant it, it is finalized upon conformation of it."

Will's roommate blinked at the angel, not understanding "What?"

Will sat up, apparently taking both the angel and his roommate by surprise. "He means you wasted your wish." Will explained calmly. "He can't stop you from dying, no one can. And you just wasted your wish for nothing because it can not be taken back." He looked to the angel as if asking for conformation. "At least, that is what I gather."

"You can see me?" The angel spoke, his tone turned curious.

"No! No no no!" Will's roommate suddenly cried. "You can't do this you have no-" He was immediately silenced as the angel turned back to him. An almost moonlit glow entered the room as the black wings stretched out to touch from wall to wall.

"You are unworthy of the life you were given. You have spent your days relishing in the pain and endangering of others. Your final words have been heard, and now you must go." The angel stretched out his hand and touched the man's forehead. A white light filled the room. Will closed his eyes and hid them behind his hand. When he was finally able to open them again, and the glowing balls before his irises subsided, he saw that the angel was gone and that his roommate was completely asleep in his bed. Will blinked as his breathing quickened. He had not had such vivid hallucinations in a long time. Before he had time to think the heart monitor hooked up to the man beside him went off, beeping loudly. Within minutes the hospital staff was rushing in and talking back and forth. Will could only silently watch from his bed.

The following days Will was left to himself in the room. The unearthly quietness did wonders for calming his nerves and anxiety, but his mind was now more occupied then ever. He didn't know what to think of what he had witnessed, for he was definitely sure he had not just imagined it. He also knew that it could not have been a vision or anything equally as unsubstantial for he had never had 'visions' or anything of the sort prior to now. He had, in the past, imagined the most logical and emotional scenarios of the darkest of crimes for the FBI. However, those had been after the fact. It was easy to see what happened when the evidence of it lay before you. Will clutched his arms tightly around himself. It made no sense. It made no sense. He closed his eyes and tried to think about the stream, the fish, and his dogs. He only vaguely registered that the nurse had come in and given him a sedative, which had allowed him to fall into a dream filled sleep.

He awoke to the feeling that he was not alone. He did not know whether it was night or day as his room had no window and the hospital lights were always on. Still he rolled over to find the angel from earlier. The lights were still on this time so his rather interesting chiseled face was very apparent. His eyes were dark and intrigued as they looked down at Will. "Hello. I'm sorry if I disturbed your sleep." Will frowned slightly as he leaned up into a sitting position. His eyes stared a little too obviously at the angel's black wings. When his gaze darted back to the other man's eyes he noticed the flicker of amusement. "Yes, I am real." He offered casually.

"I'm sorry," Will began but then paused in thought. Was this real? The angel had said it was. What did one even say to an angel? Will looked at him and cleared his throat before he asked "Are you here to kill me too?"

The angel smiled "No, William. You do not die for a little while longer, which is why I am here." He moved to take a seat in one of the chairs near the opposite wall. Will was surprised with the amount of dignity and grace the man seemed to exude. Even as he sat down, which Will was certain would have been awkward with those wings, he did so with calculate movements that were executed in one seamless motion of perfection. His wings draped over the back of the chair and did not appear the least bit disjointed or uncomfortable. "Many people can not see me until the precise moment when they die, and yet you are able to do so." He fixed Will with a mysterious look. "Why?"

Will frowned "I do not know how to answer that. I don't even know exactly what it is you are asking."

"I mean, tell me about your life."

Will released a shaky breath "I don't even know your name."

"Is that important?"

Will got the immediate and distinct impression that he was being psychoanalyzed, which immediately put him on edge. "Are you a psychiatrist?"

"That is not my official occupation, no." the man smiled. Will was not an idiot and he saw right through the little game that was being presented before him. He waited and said nothing, merely watching the angel with anticipation. After a moment the angel chuckled softly.

"My name is Hannibal."

Will nodded. "Well...Hannibal, it is nice to meet you." Will could not be sure, but he swore he saw a flicker of something within Hannibal's eyes.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, William."

"Please, just call me Will." He didn't like being called William. It reminded him of his less than pleasant childhood.

Hannibal tilted his head slightly "I assume there is a story there."

Will fixed him with a level stare "I don't just tell my life story to complete strangers, Hannibal. I don't even know you."

Hannibal only smirked "You will."

The days after that seemed to pass in a rather entertaining blur. Hannibal would come to meet him every night. They would talk about a range of subjects that eventually turned into Hannibal bringing different things for Will to try. It seemed that whenever the two of them would stumble on a subject that Will knew nothing about, such as classical opera or the finer taste in food, Hannibal took it upon himself to educate him, whether through videos of live performances or bringing Will special meals. Will never questioned where the man got all of it from because truthfully, and secretly, he enjoyed the angel's company and didn't want it to end. He didn't want to question a good thing. Hannibal seemed... polite and interesting in a way that Will couldn't quite put his finger on. Unlike the few friends Will had that only came to visit him every so often, Hannibal never asked Will about his illness, medication, or his feelings on the matter. It was refreshing and wonderful to, for even just a few hours, think or talk about something else. To talk about Hannibal's interests or even Will's. Though he was sure Hannibal didn't find fishing a particularly intriguing topic, that did not stop the man from listening intently and enthusiastically as Will told him stories of his past experiences, both victories and failures. Day by day passed and Will found that he became more and more comfortable with Hannibal's presence, and even his probing questions.

One morning Hannibal, once again, brought up the question about why Will could see him. Will had simply shrugged and offered "Maybe it is because I dealt with death for a living." Before taking a sip of the soup Hannibal had brought him. He immediately closed his eyes and ran his tongue over his lips, allowing the smooth and salty favor to run over his pallet.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, very much. What soup it this?"

"French onion, made by one of the finest chefs in Paris. I also have crème brulee for dessert."

"You went to Paris to get me lunch?"

Hannibal chucked at the look on his face "It was little trouble, I assure you."

Will looked down at the soup and pondered it slightly "I don't think a lot of this food is really good for someone in my condition."

"I would not worry about that," Hannibal said bluntly "Now, please, explain what you mean by 'dealt with death'."

"I use to work for the FBI as an investigator of sorts." Will sighed "I would go to fresh crime scenes and be able to tell them what happened."

"A sixth sense?"

Will shook his head "No...I could...I was just able to see what was there and recreate in my mind what must have happened. I could... feel what the killer had done and why." Explaining his empathy disorder and how it corresponded to his imagination was one of the most difficult things to explain, and often left those who listened confused or wary of him.

Hannibal did not look in the least bit confused or frightened by him. He was quiet for a second before saying "You are an empath, and very powerful one at that. You empathize with the killer. You can understand them."

Will nodded again "That was until I ended up here." He sighed and supposed it needed to be said and brought out into the open "You know why I am here?"

"Yes."

Will chuckled humorlessly, of course he knew. He ran a hand through his hair "I wonder how long I'll be able to still look like myself?"

"You have decided to do chemotherapy then?"

"It doesn't matter what I decide." Will said quickly and perhaps and little to harshly. "My superior, Jack, says I should do it. He says that I have an obligation to get through this and then get back to the field."

"It sounds like he doesn't have your best interest at heart."

Will licked his lips absently "I think he just doesn't want to lose someone again. His wife died from cancer just last year and... and I think he wants to see me succeed where his wife didn't even try."

"Still, at what cost." Will turned to give Hannibal a perplexed look. "I mean that this is still your life, Will, and only you should have a say in how you live it."

"I am aware," Will admitted "but Jack made a mention of pointing out just how many lives out there I could save. Just how many people are unknowingly counting on me to bring them justice."

"That is an awful lot of pressure to put on a single human life. You can not possibly feel responsible for all the evil that is present in the world."

Will released an exasperated breath and looked down at his soup "Are you trying to cheer me up or alienate what few friends I actually have?"

"I am trying to reason with you." Hannibal answered in that still all too calm voice "I care what happens to you, Will. Am I not also your friend?"

"You're some kind of angel of death and the fact that I'm even seeing you probably means I don't have much longer to live, and you want us to be friends?" He looked back and was struck speechless as he saw Hannibal's face. His expression of calm composure had not changed, but his eyes had. Those deep and ethereal eyes were practically swirling with every deep and primal emotion. The sheer emotion that lie there almost had Will stuttering as he blushed in awareness.

"Yes, I would like us to be friends." Hannibal stood from where he had been seated on the opposite bed. "I would also like it if we became more then that as well." He came to stand beside Will's bed. Will gulped, not knowing what to say. He had never been in this kind of situation. His empathy wouldn't have allowed even the smallest of intimate touches. And yet here they were, the air between them practically sparking with promise and interest.

"I..." Will tried to speak "Would it not be odd to..." he trailed off.

Hannibal leaned down and captured his chin, angled Will's head and mouth upwards. "Do you feel this is odd, Will?" Will loved it when Hannibal said his name. It sent a little shiver down his spine. He gulped and shook his head, sadly.

"But... I'm dying."

"That is no reason to not live while you are alive now." He captured Will's lips in a gentle kiss.

Though their relationship changed that night into something more romantic and intimate, neither Hannibal nor Will made any push for it to become sexual so quickly afterward. It appeared, to Will at least, than Hannibal wished to take things gradually despite the lack of time Will probably had. Their nightly visits continued for the next few weeks with the same conversations about anything and everything. When Will grew tired Hannibal would say his goodbyes and kiss him ever so reverently before he left. During the morning hours Will wondered where Hannibal went and what he did. Though he hardly suspected he could understand the responsibilities of the angel of death. Still, he never asked Hannibal about it. It would not change anything and Will, though curious, felt that it was not his right to know.

Then one night Hannibal came to him and with a grave expression told him that he would have to leave for a little while as he was needed elsewhere. When Will asked why, the angel explained that there had been a rather severe earthquake in California and that there were many souls that needed to be helped into the after life. "You will have to do all those people by yourself?" Will asked, alarmed at the sheer magnitude that task must be.

Hannibal chuckled "No, more of my kind will be there to help with the process."

"There are more angels like you? Angels of death I mean."

"A few, yes, but I was more referring to other angels as well." He watched Will's eyes light up with interest even though the man said nothing and just nodded in understand. "Perhaps when I return I can explain more about angel's to you."

Will almost grinned "I would enjoy that." He paused and frowned "It will be boring here again without you."

"This hospital will still need the dying to pass on even while I am gone. I have instructed another angel to do this in my stead until I return. I can also have her come here and spend time with you it you like?"

Will shook his head "I'm not a child and don't have to be babysat. I'll be fine." There was a moment's pause before he said in am almost inaudible whisper "Just... please return soon." He felt a large hand cup his cheek and turn his face upwards.

Hannibal kissed his forehead and then his lips as he whispered back "I would endeavor to do little else."

The nights without Hannibal's company, as Will knew they would be, were rather dreary and boring indeed. It only made matters worse when the doctor informed him that his cancer had spread through most of his lungs and that in time he would have to be put on oxygen. Will accepted this bad news with little emotional drama. He had been expecting something like this after he had decided to reject the chemotherapy, which naturally had made Jack furious. The agent might have come to visit him to rant and rage about how he was 'giving up,' but it seemed that Jack already had his hands busy with the latest serial killer. In addition Will noticed that his fatigue, depression, and nightmares had returned shortly after Hannibal left. It was only then that he had realized just how good he had started feeling the moment Hannibal had started seeing him every night. His cancer had not disappeared, but neither had it grown in the last few months. Will supposed that there were benefits to having a death angel for a boyfriend.

The hospital staff, noticing his melancholy mood and worsening condition, took it upon themselves to give him a change of scenery. This meant that he was moved to the second floor, which was reserved for critical patients. It was basically like slapping a tag on his forehead that read 'Expiration date imminent'. Still Will did not mind so much because his new room at least had a window. He could now record the passage of time without needing to stare fixedly at a clock as it insistently ticked on and on. He was now able to see the weather and though the majority of the days were rainy and overcast with dark clouds, Will thought it was the most beautiful sight in the world. He imagined himself leaning his head against the cool glass and listening to the pitter patter of the falling rain. The window was still a few feet from his bed, so he couldn't touch it, but he imagined he could feel it and the rain on his skin again.

It was a surprise to him the day that he had been staring out at the trees down below in the courtyard and then noticed a young women staring up at him. At first he had wondered if she had been looking at something else, the sky or maybe the roof, but after a long while of staring at the same spot Will was certain it was at him. Though she was far away she looked no older then that of a college freshman and seemed to be wearing a patient's smock. Was she a patient here at the hospital? She must be one of the ones that were allowed to be taken outside on a regular bases, a physical therapy patient perhaps. It made him increasingly uncomfortable and in the hope to dispel her interest he waved politely. In an instant she was gone. He blinked and then slowly looked away from the window to lay on his side in the bed. He closed his eyes, and tried not to think.

The next day he had been eating some of the hospitals horrible applesauce when he noticed someone peeking from around the door-frame to his room. It was the same dark haired girl from before. He swallowed his last bite of the terrible stuff, before motioning for her to come in. "It's rude to stare at people, you know."

The girl said nothing as she came around the corner and walked toward him. She had long dark hair and a very thin face and body. She was wearing a patients blue smock and her feet were bare to the cold tile floor. She looked cold, as her toes and the tips of her fingers were a light pink. What caught Will's attention most, however, was the gash at the side of her neck. It was red, angry, and infected but she didn't seem bothered by it. The wound looked fresh, though it seeped no blood and the rest of her skin was an almost milky white. She stopped in front of Will's bed, looking at him. "When I stare at people they really don't seem to mind... or notice."

"I see." Will set down his applesauce and moved the tray away. He had barely even touched his food, but he found that he just wasn't that hungry lately. Really not hungry. His stomach never churned or gurgled to indicate his body needed nutrients. The nurses were lucky if he even drank some water. Will knew his lack of appetite wasn't just him preferring Hannibal's food to everything else. It was just that he was never hungry any more, despite what a bad sign that was. "And why do you think that is?"

"Because they can't see me. No one can." She held up her hand and for a moment her fingers faded in and out as if she were a mechanical hologram of some sort.

"You're a ghost." Will stated frankly. He looked the girl up and down "How did you die?"

"My father," The girl absently sighed before she continued. "He tried to kill me with a knife."

"You say tried to and yet you are dead?"

"The police got to me just as he cut my throat. But he was shot and the cut wasn't deep enough to instantly kill me. I was rushed to this hospital where I failed to get a blood transfusion in time and bled out on the table."

There was a moment of silence as the two of them just stared at one another, as if understanding some unspoken truth between them. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

The girl looked him up and down "There are worse deaths." She said bluntly. It was not meant as an insult or jab against him. She was just stating a fact. "How come you can see me?"

Will huffed out a laugh "Apparently I see many things. If you died here how come you're not gone?" The girl frowned at him. "I mean... it's just that I know that when people are about to die they get helped along into death."

"You mean the angel that resides over this hospital?" She pursed her lips as she turned to walk to the other side of his bed "I saw her just after I exited my body. I ran and managed to hide."

"Her?" She must mean the new angel that was here in Hannibal's stead Will thought. "What did she look like?"

"She had white wings and long brown hair." The girl thought for a moment "She was very pretty."

Will shook his head "That's just a temp angel. The real angel the resides over this hospital is a man and he has black wings." A thought occurred to him "You said you were able to run away, how?"

The girl shrugged "I don't know. I... I think she needs my permission to take me or something." She cast him a worried look. "Will this other angel try to take me too?"

Will looked down at his hands "He won't try, he will. From what I've seen he doesn't need your permission to get you to the other side- or whatever it is."

The girl gulped as she turned to stare out the window "I don't want to die." She said meekly.

"No one does."

She did not cry, nor did she make any noises that would betray her despair or emotion. She watched as it began to rain outside once more, splattering drops against the window. "I'm Abigail."

Will glanced at her, but she did not look at him "I'm Will."

Abigail continued to stay with him after that. She would often leave to go who knows where only to return to Will's room. She laid on the empty couch across the room. A great deal of their time together was spent in silence, though when they did talk is was mostly about their previous lives before coming here. Abigail talked about her friends and school while Will talked about his dogs. They were content, for that brief amount of time, in just being with one another. Will supposed Abigail felt relief in no longer being alone. She also seemed to use his room as a refuge against the female angel, who she said was still trying to persuade her consent. Having Abigail around made the void left by Hannibal seemed less somehow, but it did not lessen his condition. Just as the doctor had said soon will found it almost impossible to breath and thus an oxygen mask was hooked up for him. They also took away his pain medications and just gave him a morphine drip instead. They did all this while Abigail sat in a corner of his room, watching silently. Just as Hannibal did, the girl never asked him about his condition, and for that Will was once again grateful. After the doctors left and the nurses moved away from his bed, she would get up from the corner and come over to his side. She would always, even though they both knew she couldn't touch him, try to hold his hand. Her intangible fingers would wrap around his palm and Will would move his own hand to mimic as if they were touching. It was the closest thing anyone had ever shown him to true and genuine concern and remorse.

The night that Hannibal had returned it was clear and cold with a full moon rising high in the sky. Will turned over in his sleep and blinked awake. Hannibal stood at the side of his bed, as he always had before. His eyes looked up and down Will's form and the barest of frowns graces his lips. Will managed to push himself to his arms, but when he went to sit up fully a stabbing pain pierced his lungs and he let out a strangled gasp. Hannibal stopped him from crumbling back to the mattress and helped him up the rest of the way. The pain left him the moment Hannibal touched him. Will took in a steadying breath and for the first time in weeks felt he could breath again. He was shocked when Hannibal removed the oxygen mask from his face and then extracted the needle from his arm that supplied the morphine drip.

Hannibal set both things aside before sitting down at the end of Will's bed. Out of habit Will turned to look at the couch and then at the corner of the room, but Abigail was not there. Will returned his attention to Hannibal. "You're back."

Hannibal gave a slight nod "Only for tonight."

"Just tonight?" Will frowned "Then why-" he stopped, understand dawning over his face. "I die tonight, don't I?"

"Yes." Hannibal answered. Will looked over at the mask and IV before then looking out the window. "Will," Hannibal began "have you thought about your last wish?"

He shook his head "I can't think of anything." He turned back to Hannibal "I know what I would like to wish for, but you said that it was not in your power to allow people to live, am I right?"

"You would wish for your life?"

Will shook his head "Not mine." he licked his lips "There is a girl that died here and wasn't taken by your associate."

"Abigail." Hannibal offered, knowing where Will was going with this "I was going to see her after I was done here with you. Alana said she was being rather difficult."

"If I wished for her to live, could you do that?"

"Regrettably, no. Her body is past the stage now where her soul could even reenter it. If it had been immediately after her last breath, then yes I could have. If that had been your wish."

Will sighed as his mind raced. He tried desperately to think of something. "You know how she died." It was not a question, but Hannibal answered anyway.

"You would be surprised to know that almost all deaths are unjust ones."

"She was just a kid about to go off to college. She even had a scholarship." He laughed bitterly "In comparison at least I can say that I live a portion of my life. She..." he struggled to find the words.

"You feel she deserved more where you did not?" Hannibal finished for him.

"I... was always not normal. She is and could have been if-"

"If fate had only been kinder." Hannibal added in. "You wish to use your wish for her?"

Will nodded "Though I don't see how. You can't bring her back to life and she's doesn't want to go with you. Though I guess for you, consent isn't a problem." He made an exasperated sound "And regardless of whether I make a wish or not you are still taking me tonight, correct."

Hannibal regarded him coolly and chose his words carefully. "This is true. Only white angel's need consent where as I do not. I am an angel of death after all." He smiled "And if fate is kind, then yes I will be taking you tonight."

Will laughed softly at his cocky smirk before settling back into his deep reverie "Will you give her a wish as well?"

"Yes. And depending on what it is I might be able to grant your wish." Will blinked at him as Hannibal stood and walked toward the door "I must leave you for a moment Will, but I shall return shortly."

He vanished before Will could say a word and reappeared before Abigail. The girl gave a muffled start but then quieted down when she saw his wings. She was sitting on a table in the morgue, her knees brought up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs. She made no move to run. "So you're Hannibal."

"Will has told you about me?"

"He likes talking about you." She gulped "He says that you give a last wish to whoever you're going to take. He also says that you don't need my permission, and that you can't save me... and that you hate begging. "

"It is rather ... annoying." Hannibal admitted.

"Are you here to give me my wish?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean Will is dead then?"

"Not at this moment, no."

Her eyes brightened "Then my wish is for him to live!" When Hannibal's eyes remained dark and emotionless her face fell "You can't save him from dying either, can you?"

Hannibal nodded slowly "Everyone must die." He watched the sadness cross over her features before adding "But not everyone has to be taken to their final place." Abigail looked at him "They can... change the fate of their soul to a new purpose. If they willingly accept the eternal and immortal obligation of it."

Abigail stared at him a moment longer until her eyes turned to his wings "Become like you?" She asked and Hannibal smiled. She was turning out to be a very bright girl, he noted. "You mean Will can become like you?"

"If he agrees to it and if he wishes selflessly, yes."

Abigail's face brightened again "Do you also mean that I can become like you?"

"If you do as I have instructed, then yes." Hannibal offered her his hand, motioned that she should get off the table. She took it and slowly set her feet on the floor.

Once she stood before him Hannibal expected her to just make her wish but instead she said "He loves you." Hannibal blinked "Will, he's fallen in love with you. I can tell by the way he talks about you."

This gave Hannibal pause and for once in his life he blushed, which seemed to cause Abigail utter amusement. She broke down in a series of girlish giggles and did not stop even when Hannibal glared at her. "Do you like him back?" She teased.

Hannibal's frown deepened "This is not a proper discussion," he looked around them "Especially for this setting."

She grinned up at him "My wish is that you and Will spend the rest of your days together." Once again Hannibal experienced a new emotion, shock. Abigail's smile widened at the look on his face. "Don't tell me no one has ever uttered a wish for you." When his expression did not change she frowned "Really?"

"Thinking of a wish to make an angel of death happy has never been thought of by anyone before," he looked down at her with apparent awe. "Except you."

Abigail blushed slightly at the praise. "Well, I just thought that if Will ends up accepting it still probably means he won't get to see you which would hurt him. And then again if he doesn't accept then no matter what he becomes at least he will still be able to be with you. As long as he's with you I think he'll be happy." She watched him with an almost suspicious gaze "and... I think you'll be happy too."

Will didn't know what to do as he merely waited for Hannibal to return. Despite him not being in the room he still did not need the mask or IV. If anything he felt perfectly fine. A realization occurred to him as he looked toward the window. Though his bed was near the window it was still several feet away and Will had never been able to get up ad walk over to it. But now... Will cautiously folded back the covers to reveal his legs. They had both been severely damaged in his last case and that is how he had ended up in the hospital, which is where they had done the X-rays and found out about his condition. Since then, he had not been able to go to physical therapy to slowly get his legs working again. The doctors had said his lungs were not strong enough.

Will took a steadying breath as he tried to move his leg. There was a second of nothing and then a tingle of nerves coming to life as the leg obeyed. He bent the knee and swung it over the side of the bed in one fluid motion. Next came the left leg as he braced his arms on the bed to steady himself. The cool tile touched his bare feet and it was marvelous to feel the subsequent discomfort of his toes. When he was sure he had his footing he leaned up and took a step away from the bed. The tingling of nerves didn't stop, but he didn't stumble or fall. He took one step and then another as he walked toward the window. He outstretched and hand and touched the glass. Now he could see beyond the courtyard to the building and city beyond.

Will was aware when Hannibal reappeared in the room, even though he said nothing to indicate his arrival. Will turned to look at him "Is this what it is like before you die? All pain gone and every sensation heightened?"

Hannibal came to stand behind him "Yes. It is a courtesy that I extend to all of the human's I kill. All death angels have this ability, but rarely use it."

"Why do you?"

"I see no reason for unnecessary pain."

He clasped Will's shoulders in his hands as he turned him around. It was so strange for both of them to finally be looking at each other at eye level. Will felt as if he were in a dream that was too good to be true. "Abigail?"

"Is fine. She will live," he smiled "and you will see her again." Will's breath left his body on a sigh of relief only for it to be quickly sucked back in as Hannibal cupped Will's face in his hands. "Will, I can save you from dying. But in exchange you will become like me, an angel doomed to forever help the passage of others into their next life."

Will's expression was torn between bewilderment and what could be excitement. "Is... is that what Abigail has done?"

Hannibal nodded "There is something else." He brought their faces close until their foreheads were touching "If you do this, I would like it very much if you would do me the honor of being my mate." Will's eyes widened "It would be forever. You would never be able to leave me. There is also a ritual that must be followed before I turn you. Do you accept?"

Will took a steadying breath "Die or become an angel. Surely the oddest choice I have ever had to make. You really want me as your mate? There isn't any-"

"No one is half as interesting as you," Hannibal smiled "Will." The way he said his name always sent shivers down his spine. Will was the one to initiate the kiss, and to fist his hands in Hannibal's under vest as he pressed their bodied together. Hannibal's arms came around him and he angled their heads for a deeper kiss. When they parted Will was practically moaning and nipping encouragingly at his jaw. Hannibal groaned as he moved them back and somehow gently maneuvered them until Will was laying of the bed once move, Hannibal looming over him. Their mouths never left one another as Will ran his tongue over Hannibal's bottom lip. His hands pushed at Hannibal's jacket and managed to peel the fabric halfway down his back before Hannibal took it off himself. The angel then moved his hands to quickly remove Will's medical gown, leaving him completely naked underneath him.

Will could barely breathe and the sensations of cold and heat assaulted his skin. He moaned again, and then reached out to tentatively touch Hannibal through his pants. His other hand tried to open the buttons of his vest but the angel pushed his hand away. Instead Hannibal bent his head and licked up the side of Will's neck before biting down on the shell of his ear. "Oh God!" Will gasped out.

As Hannibal felt Will almost writhing beneath him he could not remember wanting anyone or anything more that this moment and this human. His lips found Will's at the same time the angel wrapped his fingers around the man's erect cock. With his other hands he then flipped Will over. Will only made minor protests as he tried desperately to buck against Hannibal's hand. While one hand stroked up and down the rigid sex his other hand moved to press between Will's cheeks. Will gasped again when his fingers touched the sensitive ring of muscle.

"Ha-Hannibal," he tried to form the words "We don't have any, ah!" Will cried out in surprise when he felt a sudden wetness against the angel's pressing fingers.

"There are other perks to being and angel, dear Will."

"You can create lubricant?!"

Hannibal chuckled and he moved to press his chest against Will's back. "No, but we do secrete a special oil to clean our wings." Will's breath hitched as one finger breached and slid smoothly inside him. "And to mark our territory."

"O-Oh." Will partially moaned. The finger inside him pulled out only to thrust back in and curve upward. It was just long enough to tease the edges surrounding his prostate. The feeling was more maddening then pleasurable. With every thrust from the finger Will opened and craved it more, but still was not getting what he wanted.

Hannibal's eyes took in every inch of Will's slender muscular back and perfectly rounded ass. There was not an ounce of fat on that sinewy body. The way Will responded to him was beyond endearing, so willing and impatient. He kissed the back of the human's neck and folded his wing around and under Will's body. He wanted the man to move and press against his wings, which would cover him in a light sheen of their sweat and the oil. The more of his smell he got on Will the easier the transformation would be for them both. He nuzzled Will's neck and inhaled deeply at the juncture of it as he thrust in a second and third finger at once.

"Hannibal," Will almost whimpered. One of his hands moving back to touch the angel's still clothed thigh. "You're still mostly clothed, you know." Hannibal kissed the back of his neck again and then nipped with his teeth. It was a silent command that Will should not worry about such things. Besides, Hannibal was not about to get undressed in a hospital. He smiled when Will moaned again and a generous amount of pre-cum coated his fingers. He moved back, removing his hand from Will's cock as he undid the button and zipper of his pants. Will shivered at the sound, no doubt knowing what was coming. Hannibal reveled in the silent knowledge that Will had only an inkling of what was about to happen.

With one hand gripping his own erection, Hannibal's other hand guided Will's hips back until the head was pressing against his anus. Will's breathing hitched again and then seemed to stop altogether as Hannibal pushed just the head inside. The angel almost growled at the sheer tightness that enveloped him. Will was impossibly warm and with every inch that Hannibal slowly pushed inside him he only grew tighter and hotter. Will bowed his back and pressed against the wings underneath him. This caused his ass to move up and backwards. His legs opened wider, trying to accommodate the intrusion into his body and give Hannibal more leverage.

Will's mind was a frantic frenzy of crazed thoughts and emotions. It felt so sublime, he could barely get his mind together. His body had already adjusted to the invasion and... damn! Had he ever been this needy and wanting? The thick cock currently filling every inch of him just felt perfect inside him. The head was pressed up firmly against his prostate and when Hannibal thrust, it was like every muscle in his body tightened and relaxed at once.

"Are you alright Will?" came Hannibal's ever polite voice, though Will could detect a hint of strain.

"Yes," Will gulped. He turned just enough to look over his shoulder. "Please, move."

Hannibal's eyes darkened at the sight of him. He moved his body over Will's back once more as he pulled back his hips and thrust into that glorious heat. He did not waste what precious time they had in slowly getting Will used to his thrusts. Instead he fucked into the human with a fast and claiming pace. He wanted and needed his future mate to feel every inch of him and ache with need of it afterward. Will's hand fisted in his feathers as he bit his bottom lip. He was whimpering in abandon, but neither of them cared.

When Will was just on the cusp of orgasm he suddenly felt something wet touch against his lips. He pulled away but Hannibal was insistent as he pressed his wrist to Will's mouth. Will had just had enough time to see that the wrist was cut and bleeding ominous black blood. "Drink." Hannibal whispered in his ear, insistent and calming. Will's rational mind sent up alarming flags, but his body didn't want to obey. With every hot thrust and shallow breath in his ear Will found himself wanting nothing more then to do what Hannibal said, to please him. He opened his mouth and covered the wound, drinking hungrily. "Very good, Will."

Will's tongue lapped and sucked greedily at the blood flowing down his throat. Every gulp made him feel dizzy and light headed, but he couldn't stop. The taste was intoxicating. It was coppery and metallic like normal blood, but it also had a strange sweetness to it. His body grew hot and even after he came he still moaned and pressed back against Hannibal's thrusts. His body yearned and craved more. He couldn't stop. What was more odd was that even after his orgasm his body did not feel tired or overly sensitive. Hannibal kept fucking into him with brutal and punishing thrusts only to have Will beg for more.

His mind had long since lost all coherent thought. All he could feel was the rising of his temperature growing hotter and hotter. His brain felt as if it were sinking deeper and deeper into a sea of mindlessness. He remembered hearing Hannibal groan out his name at just about the same time horrific pain sliced through his back. But he did not feel a thing. The wrist was taken away from his mouth and a soft kiss was pressed to his shoulder. "You did very well Will, rest now." Hannibal spoke in his ear. Will tried to move, but found Hannibal was still quite erect and somehow stuck within him. "Shh," the man above him whispered "don't move. You'll only hurt yourself." Will nodded absently as he laid his head down on Hannibal's wings. Now he felt thoroughly exhausted. He could feel his new mate running his finger over some part of his body but the sensation was new and alien. It felt as if it were coming from his back but it wasn't his skin.

"Your wings are beautiful." Hannibal praised softly. Will murmured something unintelligible before drifting off to sleep.


End file.
